The present invention is directed to an explosive powder charge operated tool for driving fastening elements, such as nails, into a receiving material. The tool includes a housing with a muzzle part displaceable from a first position rearwardly into the housing into a ready-to-fire condition. A magazine supported at one end in the muzzle part extends outwardly and contains a slide for feeding the fastening elements out of the magazine into the bore of the muzzle part. The slide is displaceable through the magazine into an end position when all of the fastening elements have been fed into the muzzle bore and driven out of the tool.
Known explosive powder charge operated tools, as a rule, include a contact pressure safety assuring that the firing of an explosive powder charge is possible only when the muzzle part is pressed against the receiving material so that it moves into the housing. Accordingly, the muzzle part is moved rearwardly into the ready-to-fire condition and, in most cases, compresses a spring in a known firing mechanism.